POTS Line Replacement Strategies: When, Why, and How?

Do you still have copper phone lines (POTS - Plain Old Telephone Service) to support your fax lines (do people still use these?), alarm systems, elevator lines or point of sale systems? Do you have an older phone system that still relies on these phone lines?

Having been in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, I know that sometimes, if it’s working, why fix it?

When it comes to POTS lines, there are three important areas to consider: service, billing and technology. Here are a few items to consider:

Service

• Major carriers across the country are sunsetting their copper services. The FCC no longer holds AT&T, Verizon, Lumen and Frontier etc.. to the same requirement that they once had to maintain these services.

• Service has deteriorated on the poles, including the time it takes to get the repair work done to restore your service when there are outages.

• There is a safety risk with long repair times on your alarm and elevator lines, a financial impact with your point of sale devices, and aging phone systems which impacts commuication with customers.

Billing

• The cost for most out of contract POTS lines has tripped in the last year alone.*

• You have no idea what the lines are and if you need them.

• You may be paying for services you don’t need.

Technology

• You may think there are no viable options.

• You are worried that new technology will disrupt your business.

• You don’t have budget to replace your aging phone system.

You should know there are options, and good ones at that.

Three things you should consider doing to help with these challenges:

1. Review your bills and identify potential services that are being overcharged.

2. Review your phone system and consider migrating to a VoIP system.

3. Educate yourself on new options that replace POTS lines that are monitored, managed and afford up to a 30% cost savings.

As an example of our committment to help our customer's simpilfy IT, Catalyst Group provides real solutions to real problems, at no risk.

* Forbes; A Digital Solution For The Sunsetting Of Plain Old Telephone Service